Evocative, hard to put down

I wanted to know why Bram Stoker wrote Dracula. I wanted to know what type of man would write a novel that so many films were based on and stirred up unknown passions when I was in my teenage years.

There were times the story was so vivid, I felt like a voyeur, especially in the steamy scenes between Damaris and Bram. But there is much more to this story than the discovery of the man Dracula may have been based on, much more.

This is also the journey of a young woman, desperate to be rescued from her miserable life as a fisherlass. She wants to be free from the drudgery of gutting fish on Whitby docks and at first, believes that she has found her saviour, in the guise of a tall and handsome stranger. Over time, Damaris realises that it she and she alone that has the power to make her dreams come true.

This is a tale of greed, power, suppressed passions and love. Thoroughly researched and hard to put down.

‘Shamelessly enjoyable,’ indeed.

After reading this book, there are three things you’ll want to do –
The first, is to visit Whitby, secondly read more of Ann Victoria Roberts’ work and the third is to find a copy of Dracula and see if you agree who the blood sucking vampire was based on.